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Sunday, August 31, 2014

Checking out Player [1] (Yes, a retro gaming store in Perth!)

No one was more surprised than me when I discovered there was a retro gaming store in Perth, Australia; the humble oversized country town disguised as a city.

That sort of thing usually couldn't fly in a city like this; likely not elsewhere in the country either, but this store is different, being a music store first and foremost and a retro haven second. As well as being retro themed and selling consoles, handhelds and games, its main business is teaching music.

This thing will burn out your retina's, but its a lot of fun.

Player [1]’s founder, Michael is basically mashing together his two greatest passions, music and gaming, and running a store revolving around both. It’s a winning combination as they’re two things that go hand in hand, and it’s a store I would highly recommend if you’re into either.

Since this is a retro gaming blog after all though, I'm going to focus on the music. Ha, sorry... that was a doozy of a joke. My musical experience goes as far as failing guitar lessons for 6 months perhaps four or five years ago; suffice to say it ended in me giving away my amp and staring sadly at the now plastic wrapped guitar in my garage. No, I know nothing about music but from what I can tell Michael and his fellow musical teachers are doing an excellent job.

Let’s focus on the retro.
As soon as you walk into the store from an unassuming North Perth street, your retro-sensors (trust me, it’s a thang) go into overload. Every generation and just about every console and handheld (along with a nice selection of computers) is represented.

A huge wall-sized painting of Pac-Man overlooks glass cabinet that are full of games, with boxed systems everywhere. On one counter there is Mario holding a Wonderswan, and on another an original Commodore computer monitor is playing Futurama (from a VHS no less). Elsewhere there is a Virtual Boy loaded with Mario’s Tennis, ready to go. I could go on and on and on. If the Perth retro gaming scene had a mecca, this would be darn close. In my two visits so far, I've left with a huge, stupid grin on my face.

As well as basically being a museum where you can buy most of what’s on display, Michael also carries out repairs and mods on a lot of things. The best thing though, is the prices.

Since the music side of the business is the main bread and butter, the prices of the games are easier on the wallet; generally a lot better than what’s found on eBay. Even better, you can check the items out in person before purchase and you even get a receipt.

Above is the loot I personally bought, combined totalling to $35! Some prices there are not unlike what you'd find in op-shops, although the difference is that if you come here you're guaranteed to be walking out with something.

Do your collection a favour and throw your money at this gentleman. We as collectors need to support this sort of store as much as possible. In the meantime though, check out this video where I interviewed the store's founder, Michael, where we talk about games, music and the store:

Player [1] can be found at 6/342 Fitzgerald Street, North Perth, WA, 6006.